Tuesday, September 25, 2007

John "No Nose" DiFronzo (right), 78, is a top man in the Chicago Outfit, according to a video report by ABC-7 in Chicago. The report indicated that DiFronzo's younger brother Peter is his top lieutenant.

In the recent Family Secrets trial, mob turncoat witness Nicholas Calabrese spoke of John DiFronzo's participation in the murder of the Spilotro brothers. Federal authorities also have surveillance video showing Chicago mobsters referring to DiFronzo in conversation by touching their noses rather than by using his name.

Asked why they chose not to include DiFronzo in the Family Secrets case, prosecutors responded that they did not want to go after the mob bigshot with just a single witness against him.

Burton Kaplan, a devastating mob-turncoat witness in the Mafia Cops case, is the apparent owner of Casso's rented home in Brooklyn, and he wants Casso out. Casso has fought the eviction, arguing that the Kaplan fraudulently acquired the property in 1985 in a money-laundering scheme with Casso Sr. He also charged that Kaplan borrowed $150,000 from his father to pay for the wedding of his daughter, who is now a Manhattan supreme court justice.

Kaplan countered that Casso Jr. and his family have lived in the home rent-free for 20 years. He said he offered to sell Casso the home for $650,000. When Casso attempted to negotiate with Kaplan privately, he was prevented from doing so, since Kaplan is a protected government witness.